


Unexpected

by Lloyd1000



Series: Unexpected [1]
Category: Chicago Fire, Chicago Med, Chicago PD (TV)
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-12
Updated: 2020-07-17
Packaged: 2021-03-05 00:55:06
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 4,836
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25215835
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lloyd1000/pseuds/Lloyd1000
Summary: The day started out like every other day only for it to change unexpectedly.
Relationships: Matthew Casey/Kelly Severide
Series: Unexpected [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1787713
Comments: 16
Kudos: 45





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This is my first story for this series. I hope you will like it. Please be gentle with this.
> 
> I absolutely love Matt and Kelly being together which is why I’ve chosen to write this. That and the many other stories that I have read. 
> 
> I hope that the characters are relatively in character. I apologize if they aren’t. As I said this is my first story for this series that I love. Please tell me what you think. I also don’t know much medical jargon. I tried.
> 
> Song: Future Days by Pearl Jam

They walked out of their rooms after Leslie and Andy had finished getting ready. As they passed another bedroom, the shower could be heard running. They had made their way to the kitchen when they smelled food. As they rounded the corner, they saw one of their parents making breakfast.

They thought,

_(Today is the day we are going to tell our parents about going to the Firefighter Academy to become firefighters just like them.)_

Speaking of their dads; they were the best of the best. Matthew Casey-Severide was the Captain of Truck 81 and Kelly was the Captain of Squad 3 over at Firehouse 51. 

“Morning Les, Andy.” Matt greeted them as they walked in. He moved from making breakfast to kiss the top of their heads of both his children. Matt then moved back as he asked, “I’m making breakfast, want any?” Both kids nodded and sat down at the table. Matt expertly and quickly made eggs, bacon, toast and sausage for breakfast. He then called out,

“Kel! Get a move on or we’re going to be late for shift!” No one answered right away and Matt glanced at the time and saw that it was close to 7:20. Matt called again a little more urgent,

“Kelly!” The three of them heard in the background as a door opened then closed. 

“I’m coming!” Before the man himself walked out of their bedroom, all showered and dressed. He walked straight up to Matt. He kissed Matt as he wrapped his arms around him. Matt smiled and leaned into the embrace for he felt safe and warm. He could always calm himself as he listened to Kelly’s heartbeat. It always grounded him even now. Matt did it before every shift until it became somewhat of a good luck charm between the two of them. It had always brought them both home safe.

**_If I were ever to lose you..._ **

“Morning babe.” Kelly whispered as the kids rolled their eyes lovingly at the display of affection their parents had done. He then moved toward them and kissed their heads saying,

“Morning Les, Andy.” Kelly then walked over to the coffee machine and grabbed two travel mugs from the cupboard above his head before he poured coffee into both. Kelly handed one to Matt as they both kissed their kids goodbye and they dashed out of the house. The twins never got a chance to tell them as Matt and Kelly were already driving away. 

This was how it always was whenever Matt and Kelly had a shift. Matt would make breakfast while Kelly got ready. Kelly would then grab coffee and pour it into two travel mugs before the both of them dashed out of the house and to work by 7:30. On their days off, Matt and Kelly would sleep until about 9 before Kelly would get up and make breakfast. Matt then would wake when he smelled the food. The twins would wake too to the smell of food before Kelly would bring the food to all three of them in bed.

* * *

Matt and Kelly arrived at the firehouse before everyone else and got ready. They both then made their way to their offices and started on the mountains of paperwork. The ‘perks’ of being the captain. The rest of 51 arrived a few minutes later. Kelly and Matt had just finished their paperwork and the rest of 51 had just changed out when the call came in.

 **Truck 81, Squad 3, Engine 51, Battalion 25, 10 story building, unknown causes.**

And just like that, they were off, scrambling to their trucks and barreling out of the firehouse.

* * *

As soon as the trucks, 81, Squad 3 and Engine 51 got there as well as firehouse 38. Considering, 51 got there first, they got to call the shots. Chief Boden announced to his men and the men of 38,

“Alright, we got a building that we don’t have a clue on what’s inside. It could be a small fire, a ceiling collapse. It could be anything. So I want everyone of you to be extra careful. Matt, I want you to take your men up to the top floor and sweep for anyone then make your way down. Kelly, get ready to help out if anything goes wrong and for if Matt needs you to rescue any potential victims that he has. Herrmann, you get your men ready and follow Matt in a few minutes for they might need the hose. House 38 follow Captain Matt and Captain Kelly’s orders and go with them.” The three men nodded their understanding as well as everyone from house 38 and went to work. Matt ordered his men and some men from 38 into the building and began the climb up to the top. 

Kelly, Herrmann and the rest of 38 and 51 waited until they got the go ahead from Matt. Kelly and Herrmann knew that Matt could handle a short sweep before they headed in too. So they waited until Matt told them to go in. They all heard the radio squawk as Matt’s voice filled the air.

 _“Made it to the fifth floor, Chief. On our way up to the tenth.”_ Boden didn’t know why but something just didn’t feel right. And it seemed to reflect on his two officers. Then Matt’s voice once again filled the air a few minutes later.

 _“Chief, made it to the top. So far no fire or anything out of the ordinary. Gonna check it out the floor.”_ Then heard him say, 

_“Chicago Fire Department! Call out!”_ Then it happened, the pit in the Chiefs stomach that had been bugging him since arriving, dropped when he heard Matt say,

 _“Chief, there’s no one here. I’ll take a look around but I don’t see anyone here.”_ Boden was just about to say to Matt to come back when Matt’s worried but professional voice came on, 

_“Chief, I don’t like how this one feels. I’m heading ba-”_ but his voice suddenly cut off before everyone heard Matt’s panicked yell through the radio and that was saying something because Matt never lets his fear or worry show through at work or any time.

 _“No! No! Get back! Get back! There’s a bom-!”_ Before a blast on the tenth floor shattered the windows and walls and the radio went silent; only static remained. Chief Boden screamed into his radio for Matt, for anyone of Truck 81 to respond. Kelly froze a split second as he watched glass and pieces of the wall and whatever else fall to the ground. Tears were streaming down his face. Herrmann, who was just as upset and shocked as Kelly, pulled him out of harm’s way and his own mind. 

“Captain, we have to focus! They might still be alive! Kelly!” 

**_I’d surely lose myself..._ **

A few minutes later, Mouch’s scared and what seemed like agony in his voice was yelling,

 _“Mayday! Mayday! 81… and 38 are trapped... on the tenth and... ninth floor! Mayday!”_ Kelly snapped out of his own pain of potentially losing the love of his life and began ordering his men into the building. Kelly then rushed in after them. Herrmann and his team were right behind as they all began the climb to get to Mouch and anyone else from truck 81 and house 38 who might still be alive. Chief Boden then yelled into his radio at dispatch,

“Mayday! Mayday! We have multiple firefighters trapped on the tenth and ninth floor! We need more truck companies!” He then demanded of Kelly,

“Kelly, where are you right now?!” Kelly answered the Chief, 

_“We just made it to the sixth floor, Chief. About to head up to the seventh.”_ Kelly’s team rounded a corner and entered the stairway to go up higher. Members of Squad 3 and 38 had just made it to the seventh floor, Kelly was still in the stairway when a second bomb went off and caused the floors above them to collapse on top of them and the members of house 38. Herrmann’s team was on the fifth floor when a third bomb went off. Boden rushed in after the second bomb went with the paramedics, Sylvie Brett and Cleo Hillside right behind him when two more bombs went off and caused the building to fully collapse.

* * *

Cops and more firefighters, paramedics arrived on scene as the 10 story building was collapsing around them. Two of the cops on scene were Detectives Voight and Dawson. They ordered the firefighters and other cops to begin searching for any survivors of the collapse. Dawson and Voight moved pieces of the building around as well as everyone else when they found a firefighter with the name Casey-Severide printed on the back. 

“Hey! Over here! Got someone! He’s alive!” Voight yelled and other cops and firefighters rushed over to help get him out. As soon as they got him out, Voight ordered Dawson to go with the man they rescued as the paramedics rushed him to the hospital. Dawson nodded and did what he was ordered. The men went back to searching.

In the ambulance, the man that Voight and Dawson had saved began yelling and hyperventilating for someone. 

“Matt! Matt! I need to get to Matt! Matt!!” Dawson had to help hold him down as the paramedic was having trouble. Not to mention man’s blood pressure, heart rate and whatever else was skyrocketing. Dawson had to get him to calm down. The man was in no shape to become agitated and do more damage to his already broken body. Dawson tried his luck in calming him down,

“Kelly! Hey! Easy! Whoa, relax Kelly! It’s me, Antonio. Relax. It’s ok, I got you.” That seemed to work as Kelly glanced up with blurry eyes and focused on the voice to his right. Kelly questioned weakly and clearly in pain,

“...A-Antonio?” Antonio clasped his hand on Kelly’s gently as he answered the poor man.

“That’s right, brother. I’m here.” Antonio then heard Kelly asked with pain and worry laced in his voice.

“...W-Where’s Matt? Did anyone else survive? Where am I?” Antonio’s heart went out for the man. It really did but he didn’t know what to say to him. Did he tell him the truth that so far he was the only survivor or did he lie? Dawson didn’t know so he went with,

“I don’t know yet. I’ll call Voight and get an update soon. For now, you just relax and get better. You are on your way to the hospital. You were under some rubble after a ten story building collapsed on you.” Dawson watched Kelly slightly nod before he saw Kelly’s eyes go into the back of his head. The paramedic yelled to their partner who was driving,

“He’s seizing! How far are we out?” Their partner answered,

“Four minutes!” just as Kelly went rock still. As Kelly laid in the ambulance dying, he watched his life flash before his eyes. From the first moment he met Matt to their wedding. To when Matt and himself tried to save their kid’s biological parents from a house fire. To finally when they took home Leslie and Andy for the first time. 

**_Everything that I have found here..._ **

The monitor that had Kelly’s heartbeat suddenly flatlined. Kelly had coded and the paramedic had to rush to bring him back.

“Damn it! He’s coding! Grabbing the crash cart! Clear!” Then shocked him back into sinus rhythm just as they arrived at the hospital.

* * *

Antonio was led to the waiting room as he waited for news on Kelly. He called Voight and he told him that no one else had survived and that he was still looking. He knew that there was a chance… a chance that no one survived but he didn’t actually think that it would be true. Antonio paced up and down the waiting room when the doctor came up to him. 

“Hey, Antonio. I’ll be doing the surgery on Kelly. I’m going to do everything I can to save him, I promise.” Dr. Halstead grabbed Antonio’s hand and shook it then began telling him if he should call the twins or Matt in case something were to happen. 

“Uhh… Matt was at the scene and in the building before it collapsed. Voight and the others are still at the scene we have yet to find anything or anyone. The twins are at home getting ready for college or some other exams. But no one else because his family... 51 is gone. So you ask if there is anyone I should call… no there isn’t... not really anyway. I’m all he has at the moment.” Halstead nodded in understanding because he knew Dawson wasn’t exaggerating when he said 51 was his family and the fact that his own brother, Jay was also at the scene. If anything were to ever happen to him, Will didn’t know what he would do either. Halstead then said,

“I’m going to take him into surgery now. I think his children should be here when he wakes up. I also think you should come see him afterwards. I’m sure he would like that.” Then Dr. Halstead walked away to save Kelly. Dawson then sighed as he pulled out his phone and called everyone whose family was at the ten story building collapse.

* * *

Leslie and Andy had just finished cleaning the house and getting the ingredients for the meal they were going to make for their fathers when a knock came at the door. Andy told his twin,

“I’ll get it.” Before he moved to the door to open it. As soon as he opened it, Cindy Herrmann was standing there. 

“Mrs. Herrmann? Is everything ok?” she smiled a little sadly and asked to come in. So Andy moved out of the way before she began to explain. After she told them, both Leslie and Andy were out the door and into her car. Leslie had taken the time to grab both her father's sweatshirt jackets that read Truck 81 and Squad 3 before she went out and got into the car.

* * *

Voight had found Dawson after he arrived at the hospital to give him a bag with a chain and a ring inside that read ‘Forever’. Although it was partly burned, very fragile and black, Dawson could still read it. 

**_I’ve not found by myself..._ **

“I’m sorry.” Was all Voight said as he clasped his hand on Dawson’s right shoulder before he left to continue the search for any more survivors. Antonio hung his head and placed his hand on his face as tears flowed down his face. He knew he had to tell Kelly when he got back from his surgery and when he woke up but he just didn’t know how. How was he supposed to say ‘I’m sorry your husband is dead?’ without it sounding wrong or insensitive. What if the moment Dawson told him, Kelly would take a turn for the worst and die right in front of him? He just didn’t know what to do.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi everyone. First of all thank you for your lovely comments. I’m so glad you are all loving my story. 
> 
> I watched this one episode from Grey’s Anatomy where a character had a surge of good health and that’s where this chapter came from.

It was hours later, when Will Halstead walked over to Dawson, who was still waiting for news on Kelly. He spoke,

“Antonio, we did everything we could but… we are not sure he will survive the next few hours much less the day. He had excessive injuries to his body. We are not even sure if he’ll wake up. I’m so sorry.” Antonio was floored by the news; he audibly gasped as his breath escaped him. He nodded his understanding as Will continued somberly,

“We gave him meds to help alleviate his pain. I’ll take you to him now. I'm so sorry. I knew you, Kelly, your sister and Matt were all close. I can’t even begin to understand what you or Kelly must be going through. Hopefully, he won’t have to be without Matt for much longer.” Will half smiled in sadness as he led Dawson through the maze which was the hospital to the room where Kelly laid. They arrived at Kelly’s room about ten minutes later.

As soon as Dawson entered the room, he was taken aback a little by how horrible Kelly looked; with how pale he looked, the bruises, cuts all on his face and arms not to mention the tube down his throat that was helping him breathe. That was just what he could see; who knows what damage was done underneath. 

Antonio grabbed a chair and pulled it to the bed as he waited for Kelly to wake up _if_ he would wake up. A few minutes later, Dawson saw Kelly open his eyes before he began choking on the tube. Antonio yelled for a nurse and they, with the help of the doctors that also ran in, removed the tube. 

Kelly gasped weakly, 

“...att?” His throat sounded rough and dry so Antonio helped him drink small sips of water. Kelly didn’t really focus on anything at the moment. Antonio sighed sadly before he carefully yet gently grabbed his hand and told him,

“No, it’s me, Antonio.” Kelly whimpered out a sigh before he turned toward Dawson as his eyes slowly closed once again. Once he realized that it was Dawson, Kelly fell into a restless sleep. Dawson was relieved that Kelly was at least awake even if at this moment he was sleeping.

* * *

Antonio left when Kelly fell asleep and went back to the scene. Voight was still there moving debris with three firefighters when he noticed Dawson.

“How is he?” Voight asked as soon as they finished. Dawson sighed and told Voight everything that was going on with Kelly. Voight’s already grim expression turned even more grim and sad. 

“I’m sorry, Antonio. I know he is your friend. I hope he pulls through.” Then walked back helping the firefighters and other cops move more debris looking for any more survivors and so far the search wasn’t going too good. Antonio walked over by Voight and began to help. 

Voight glanced at Antonio and knew he was angry because he himself was. Everyone at Intelligence, who knew anyone at Firehouse 51 was very angry and wanted justice. They needed to find one more person alive. They needed the culprit to show up, to see his or her handiwork so they could catch them. 

So far though, this job at this moment, depressed everyone. They were losing hope of not only finding another person alive but also finding the one who did this. Antonio left the scene after finding another member of 51. It was Joe Cruz. It had left him feeling even angrier. That was the fifth member of 51 and as for 38, they had found seven members.

* * *

Dawson arrived back at the hospital but sat in his car internally screaming his pain by hitting the steering wheel. After a good few minutes, he left his car and walked back to Kelly’s room. Antonio had his head lowered when he entered thinking that Kelly would be sleeping, that he didn’t even notice anything different until Kelly spoke.

“Hey Antonio.” Dawson glanced up immediately and the first he saw was that Kelly actually looked better. Like he had just done a 180 and Antonio thought that he would be fine now. Dawson was shocked so he nodded his greeting and backed out of the room to find someone. He found a nurse a few minutes later.

“I’m confused. I thought you people said that he wouldn’t have woken up. Now look at him! He’s awake and he actually looks better. Please explain to me how that happened.” The nurse glanced over at Kelly then back at Dawson. She gave a sympathetic smile before she explained,

“He’s not better.” Dawson looked even more confused and was about to say so when the nurse continued,

“It’s something called a surge of good health. It’s where the patient with fatal injuries like a crush injury has this burst of energy before they succumb to their injuries and die. It could last as long as an hour, maybe more. We are not too sure. I’m sorry.” Dawson nearly dropped to his knees in front of the nurse so instead he found the nearest chair and sat in it. The nurse walked away leaving Antonio with his thoughts.

Kelly was probably feeling better and he actually looked better, Dawson decided to give him the ring that he had been holding onto since Voight gave it to him. 

“Hey, brother how are you feeling?” Walking over to his chair which was next to Kelly’s bed. Dawson sat down as Kelly told him that he was better. Antonio was glad and told him so. He then pulled out the ring that belonged to Matt.

“Kelly. I have to give you something.” Then handed it over to him. Dawson watched Kelly’s expression go from content to depression in two seconds. “I’m so sorry. This was all that they could find. There wasn’t even a body to recover. I’m so very sorry, Kelly.” Kelly gasped as tears flowed down his face and he cried.

He glanced over at Dawson after the tears had finally stopped before back down at the bag that held his husband’s ring. 

“I… I-I had a feeling that he was… gone. I-I just… knew but I… I didn’t want to believe it.” Dawson watched a single tear fall down Kelly’s face. Then more quietly, 

“I didn’t want to believe it…” Dawson placed his hand on Kelly’s shoulder which made Kelly glance at him. The look on Antonio’s face made Kelly start all over again. After he stopped crying, he asked,

“Do you have a recorder? Or something to record with?” Antonio nodded and pulled out his phone.

* * *

Night had fallen when Dawson walked into the waiting room to talk to the families of the firefighters of 51 and 38. The families turned toward him when they noticed him. 

“Do you know what’s going on?” And all of them began questioning their worries until Dawson had to get everything under control. Will appeared next to Dawson as he told everyone,

“I need you all to calm down and please sit down. I have some news.” Then Will took over when Antonio’s phone rang. He cursed under his breath, then answered it.

“Go for Dawson.” He walked away so he could hear. He listened intently as Voight explained,

 _“We got him. The idiot returned to the scene and was actually jumping for joy. We’re bringing him back to the precinct. Meet us there later.”_ Dawson returned just as Will was taking the families of 38 to another room leaving 51 for him to tell them.

“I’m sure you’ve heard the news. About the ten story building that collapsed. Well, I’m afraid there were casualties.” Dawson then continued as everyone began to cry. 

The families of 51 and 38 all broke down crying after learning that their loved ones were gone. Dawson hated this part of the job. He walked over to the twins and pulled away from all those families so he could tell them about their parents. Cindy Herrmann followed them and heard what Antonio told Leslie and Andy.

“I have something to give you both. I’m so sorry.” Then gave them a bag of their father’s rings. Leslie grabbed the bag as tears flowed down her face as she read both engravings. ‘Forever’ and ‘Always’. Andy held his sister as she silently cried clutching the jackets while he remained strong. Cindy held them both for now they were all alone and had no one.


	3. Chapter 3

**_Our future days..._ **

  
It’s been ten years since the deaths of everyone at 51. Leslie and Andy were now working at 51 and have been for three years. They were Lieutenants of Truck 81 and Squad 3. Herrmann’s oldest son was now the battalion chief. 

Leslie and Andy starred expectedly at Gabriella, the owner of the bar, Molly’s. They had gone to Molly’s for years now. They had also known her for just as many years. Gabby was now an older woman with brown but graying hair and dark, warm eyes. She still had the look of experience; someone who had seen things, she would never likely forget. Gabby was a hard worker and very kind. She always was even now. She came back to Chicago to reopen Molly’s, a few months after the ten story building collapse that had killed everyone. 12 years ago, she lost her husband to a car accident which had been one, the biggest, of many reasons to come back. 

She had sad eyes and a pained smile as she remembered. The twins smiled just as sad and just as pained as they asked,

“Tell us the story about our fathers. Where did it all begin? How did they meet? Dad and Daddy were not big on talking about their past. We just want to know…” Gabby glanced at pictures of two men, Matthew Casey-Severide and Kelly Casey-Severide, in their uniforms back before they had married and at their wedding that hung on the far wall across from the bar as a tear escaped down her cheek. She sighed, quickly wiping away the tear. Her breath hitched and she had to walk away before she began to cry. Even after ten years, it’s still painful to think about.

The twins glanced at one another in confusion just as Gabriella came back. She handed them a flash drive. 

She explained at their confused expressions,

“All we need is the computer and the tv and all will be revealed.” The twins nodded as they went and set up the tv so they could play the drive through the computer to the tv. The older woman set up the video then waited to press play. The twins got comfortable as Gabby played the first video. 

Leslie and Andy’s father, Kelly Casey-Severide appeared on the tv. He spoke although raspy and his face looked very bruised and his eyes looked very tired. He still looked like he would’ve made it instead of what actually happened. Their father on the screen looked like hell, and had been through hell but still looked alive. They still smiled painfully and tears formed in their eyes. Leslie held onto two sweatshirt jackets that had Truck 81 and Squad 3 on them. 

_“Antonio is that on? Are you recording?”_ Antonio who was behind the camera said,

_“Yes, Kelly. I’m recording. Relax.”_ Gabby smiled sadly at hearing her brother’s and Kelly’s voice as tears flowed down her face. They watched Kelly nod before he spoke again.

_“Leslie, Andy, by the time you are watching this; I hope you are well and on your way through either the Fire Academy or are already in a firehouse or at some college. I wish I could be there to watch you both succeed. Your father and I both do. I’m going to tell you everything about us. How your father and I met; to how we ended up with two beautiful twins. I know you wish I could have lived to stay with you but the truth is… I couldn’t. The doctors called it a surge. It’s where someone with fatal injuries gets a surge of good health. That’s why...”_ Kelly went silent as tears suddenly fell from his face. Leslie and Andy watched him quickly wipe them away before he continued,

_“Matt was the man I loved and I couldn’t live without him even if I had survived. I loved him more than life itself.He was my rock. My home and my shelter. My everything._

_So when I say I wish I could watch you both become the best firefighters in the world or whatever you had chosen as your career; I truly wish I could. But I can’t because of this surge. I don’t even know how long I have left.”_

_“Had the both of us survived; yes we would be there. So instead I’m going to tell you about our life before our life. And that means the beginning. I know we hardly ever say anything about our past but that’s because we have had too much pain.  
_

_Matt had the most, with his mother going to jail for killing her husband and him going into the foster care system. And me with my dad._ _I’ll get to that._

_The point is we have experienced something no one should have but we did and we made the best of it.  
  
We had our ups and downs though more often was it the downs and then when we got the two of you? We had more ups than ever before.  
_

_We love you both. I think I’ve rambled enough for I only have so long. This is our story.”_ They watched as their father took a pained breath before he continued, 

_“It began like any other day… with a call to a house fire that changed everything… and everyone.”_

_**Days of you and me…** _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all for sticking with me throughout this sad but wonderful story! Thank you for all the comments and kudos! 
> 
> I hope you enjoyed the story. I have in the works a second story. It’s called 9:58 and I should have the first chapter up soon. I hope you’ll give it just as much love as this story. 
> 
> It’s going to be longer than this one so I hope you’ll stick with my crazy updating schedule.


End file.
